5 Helpful Twitter Tools - You Should Be Using

There are many Twitter tools out there that can save you time and make small business marketing much easier. What I am going to share below are my five favorites that I use all the time.

When considering what tools I wanted to feature on this list it was very easy to choose because these are truly helpful and save me time. And, the best thing about these tools is that most of the features are... FREE!

Note: Some of the sites mentioned in this article are my affiliates, yet this do not sway my opinion in any way.

1. HootSuite

Essentially it is a social media dashboard for individuals/teams to manage multiple accounts on various social networks. I like the fact that with HootSuite I am able to go to one place and control several social media accounts including Twitter.

Right now with HootSuite I control two Twitter accounts (personal and business account), a Facebook page, and a LinkedIn profile. HootSuite allows you to control up to five accounts for free. You can add more accounts and features for an additional fee. But as for me, it hasn't been necessary to upgrade my account (yet) so I have not paid a dime to use this great tool, and I am loving it! But if you are one of those who would need or like to upgrade I know it will be worth the money spent.

Some of the features that I find helpful are:

2. Friend or Follow

Have you ever wondered who are your mutual followers, fans, and those that are not following you back? I like Friend or Follow because it shows you 1) who's not following you, 2) who's following you and your not following back (they're considered fans), and 3) who are mutual followers.

3. Twitoria

Why follow someone who is no longer tweeting? If you need to clean up your inactive followers Twitoria is the Twitter tool to use. You can find out who has been inactive for the past week, 2 weeks, month, year, etc. This is a good way to decrease your following number without unfollowing someone you value on Twitter.

4. Twitter Search

Twitter Search is a good Twitter tool to use for finding tweets that mention your business name/brand. Yet, it's also useful for finding potential customers on Twitter. How so?

For an example, let's say you are a printing company that serves customers nationwide. You could possibly find potential customers by typing in phrases such as "need business cards" or "looking for a printer." Twitter Search will then bring up real tweets in real time with the words or phrases in bold. From there its up to you whether you want to send a "@" reply offering your services or even helpful tips/suggestions.

This strategy has led to some getting clients. It just all depends on your type of business, your approach and how diligent you are.

5. Who Unfollowed Me

If you're one of those who watches their following number and ever wonders "Who just unfollowed me?" (don't be ashamed to admit that you have, everyone does at some point) then Who Unfollowed Me is for you. Only after you signup and give this app permission will it let you know who has unfollowed you. I prefer this app over other unfollower Twitter tools because it will let you know who specifically unfollowed you and give you the opportunity to unfollow them.

I have tried other apps that promised to alert you when someone unfollowed but never received another message after signup so after finding this site I have not searched for another unfollower app again.

**Sponsored Tweets

**BONUS** Okay, so I threw this one in as number six and sure it isn't necessarily a twitter tool but hey, if you're going to be on Twitter, why not get paid for your tweets!? I have been using Sponsored Tweets to earn extra income with my tweets. You can learn more by visiting their site and signing up.